I Need a Summer (For the Winter in My Heart)
by DestineyTot
Summary: Eren comes along just in time to talk Levi down from doing something drastic and offers to take him in for the night. It's supposed to be temporary, or so Levi thinks, but Eren ends up being 50 different shades of nice and offers him a home under his roof.
1. On the Side of a Bridge

**Author's Note:** Not gonna lie, this was inspired by something super personal. I will say that Levi's situation and my own are different in nature, but the feelings we experience are very much similar. I thought that maybe I could do this idea justice. This fic will only be about 2-3 chapters long, depending on how many words it takes to crank out what I have planned for this.

Also, I'm coming out of my 1 and 1/2 year writing retirement to write this. So apologies if it isn't super high quality. And please pay heed to the tags. I don't want to accidentally trigger somebody, as there may be triggering things in this story.

* * *

There's a fierce storm raging in the evening time. Wind and rain are battering the mostly desolate street, sheets of water blowing like mist across the cool pavement.

He's standing on the outside of a high bridge with torrential water raging below from the storm. He's leaning forward, fingertips slippery on the rusty railing. There's a resigned look on his face, peaceful almost, his grey eyes half lidded and staring into the murky waves below. He has nothing to his name; homeless, starving, lacking the basic necessities. Nothing to call his own and phantom bruises aching along his wrists, his face. His left foot lifts up, resting on nothing but thin air and he takes a deep breath in, his fingers loosening on the rail.

He feels his heart squeeze in his chest, an internal primal instinct willing him to hang on, to not let go. Survival, his body is telling him that he wants to live, but his heart is heavy with wounds and aching with the need to let go. Be free of pain, be free of his poisonous thoughts, forget about the cold nights on the street and the fists connecting with the side of his face.

His hair is sticking to his forehead from the sheets of rain pounding against him. Tonight is the best night. The river is raging wildly below. He could jump in. The water would sweep him away, not give him a chance to change his mind. This is what he's been wanting, right? A sign?

Well there it is, all dark and brown with rainwater and looking as deadly as ever. It was storming for a reason tonight, and he's convinced himself that this was it; this is his way out, a way to get the job done. All he has to do is take the first step…

He's startled out of his thoughts when a hesitant voice cuts through the loud pitter-patter of the rain and the crashing of the water below.

He turns his head enough to see someone standing in the middle of the empty road, their vehicle still running and door slightly open, leaving the car lights on to illuminate the inside. Grey eyes flit up to see concerned turquoise eyes staring back at him, widened at the sight on the edge of the bridge. He hadn't even noticed the sound of a vehicle approaching.

"Hey…hey. Are you okay?" The person asks, voice gentle with caution. They look like they want to take a step forward, but apparently they decide against it, keeping their position in the middle of the road.

Well, considering that he's hanging off the side of a bridge in a torrential rainstorm with every intention to kill himself tonight, he could be doing a lot better.

Speaking of which, he directs his attention back to the river below, and his foot which is still hanging haphazardly in the air. He did have an objective tonight, and he shouldn't let any passerby get in his way. They didn't give a shit before, so there's no reason they should give a shit now.

Apparently the guy noticed this too, because now he is taking a step forward, still cautious, and his voice is louder than before.

"I…okay. I know it's not my place to tell you what you should – or shouldn't – do, but listen…whatever is going on that's making you want to do this, it's not worth it, okay?" The stranger swallows visibly, obviously struggling for the right words. "Hurting- killing yourself isn't the right way to handle things. It won't solve anything."

He spares an incredulous look back at the turquoise-eyed person, and sees the look that crosses over their face at his own expression. He licks his lips, tasting rainwater on them, and gives a shake of his head.

People are so quick to try and talk others out of killing themselves, but how many are actually willing to go through the means necessary to help them? He's heard these same lines from others before. This stranger won't solve any of his problems by trying to talk him out of suicide now.

His eyes return to their original target – the river. Yeah. He should really be jumping into it by now.

"I know…I mean, not necessarily, but I know that you've gotta be thinking, _'What does this guy know?'_. And you're right, I don't know what's happened to make you wanna do this. But I…I don't wanna see you do this. And not because, _'Oh hey, that'd be pretty messed up'_, but more so I just don't want to see you hurt yourself."

He hears another step being taken forward. And goddamnit, seriously, why has he not let go of the railing yet? He's pursing his lips instead, the tightening in his chest becoming worse.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself. And I know you might think that I don't care, because I'm just a stranger. We've never met, but I can tell you that I'd be hurt if you hurt yourself tonight. You might think that everyone doesn't care, but I care."

He's squeezed his eyes shut by this point, his grip on the railing of the bridge so tight now he can feel the rusty edges digging into his palms.

"Hey…" He feels a warm hand close gently around the upper part of his arm – not restraining, just reassuring. "Come on, now." And as much as his pride is screaming at him not to do so, he feels himself starting to turn around on the side of the bridge.

He's facing the stranger now, but refusing to meet his wildly bright eyes. Instead, he's staring down at the white-knuckle grip on the bridge's railing, the tendons in his hands pressing against his skin. Another warm hand comes to rest on his other arm and he feels himself being led over the railing. He steps back over the bars, feeling more numb and hollow than before he'd come here.

The stranger exhales, obviously relieved. They're still holding him gently by the arms. A nervous sort of smile spread across their lips, and even in the state of mind he's in, he can't help but notice that they've got a brilliant smile. "Good, wow. Good, thank goodness." A shaky laugh escapes them. "I'm glad you've reconsidered. Really."

He glances up slightly, daring himself to look into turquoise eyes. His own eyes feel heavy – tired. He's suddenly so tired. He just wants to curl up on the side of the road and sleep, even in this horrendous downpour.

The stranger must have noticed this, or maybe it was the way he slumped a little in the other's hold. "Oh- hey. Hey,um. Shit." They curse quietly, scrambling for something else to say. It doesn't take them too long to decide because the next thing he knows, he's being pulled toward the stranger's car. "I know you don't know me, and I don't know you, but I really don't want to leave you out here, you know?" He's lead into the passenger seat and the door is closed. The inside of the vehicle is warm and dry, all bright grey leather and pristine plastic. He feels more at ease.

The other guy gets in the vehicle, switching it from park to drive and pulling out onto the road. They turn the nob on the heating system and suddenly hot air is blowing on his frigid skin. "I promise I'm not a rapist or a murderer or anything and wow, that sounds suspicious on its own. Just, uh…please believe me. I have good intentions, I swear."

The stranger pulls off the hood of their jacket, which they had been wearing while standing out in the downfall, and a head of messy brown hair is revealed. They smooth it out with one hand as best as they can before placing both hands on the steering wheel again. Blue-green eyes glance over at him again. "So what's your name?"

The question takes him off guard. It takes him a moment to find his voice, quiet against the hum of the car's engine and the pounding of the rain on the windshield. "Levi."

"Levi, huh? Okay." He can't help but notice that there's a chipper tone to the stranger's voice. Even when he was talking him down from the bridge's ledge, there was something so optimistic about it. He thinks that maybe he should be annoyed. Any other time, he would have been, but he must just be too tired. "I'm Eren. Eren Jaeger. I promise I'll let you do a full background check on me as soon as we reach my house." The guy – Eren – laughs again, sounding less nervous this time.

"I trust you." Levi replies quietly. And strangely enough, he does. He feels safe in this car, in Eren's presence. If living on the streets taught Levi anything, it was that you couldn't trust just anyone. And yet, here he was…

It didn't feel like a mistake though.

* * *

Eren, thankfully, turned on the radio to some pop station and spared Levi the possibility of anymore conversation. He was too tired to talk, almost too tired to think, and he was grateful for the mutual silence. He needed time to reign himself in, to plan his next course of action.

This was all just temporary, after all.

Eren apparently has a nice flat in the city, which surprised Levi because he was pretty sure Eren wasn't old enough to be this well along.

The brunet unlocks the door to the flat and flicks the light on. Levi is greeted with warm brown and cream colors decorating the living room, and off to the right he can see the kitchen with its white walls and sky blue linoleum flooring. There's an open bar connecting the living room and kitchen together, with stools sitting on the soft, white carpet.

The house is warm and welcoming and Levi feels odd to be here. He knows that this is what a home is supposed to feel like, and that just makes him feel even more out of place. He's not used to this feeling.

The sound of keys being tossed onto the coffee table interrupts Levi's train of thought. He notices Eren shrugging off his damp jacket, and now that they're in proper light, he sees that Eren's skin is naturally dark. He thinks so, because it's the middle of November and he doubts that Eren would go out of his way to keep a tan this time of year.

"First shower is yours." Eren announces and Levi starts at that, sending him a questioning look.

"I don't have any clean clothes."

Eren smiles, picking up the TV remote that had been resting on the couch cushions and turning said thing on. "I'll find something of mine for you to wear."

"Good luck doing that." Levi motions to himself, and Eren sends him his own questioning look. "I'm a few inches shorter than you, in case you haven't noticed."

At this, Eren just shrugs. "It might be a little loose, but it's better than wet clothes. I can wash your old clothes while you're wearing mine, anyway." He gets up and makes his way towards the hallway on the left. Levi takes this as his cue to follow him. "Bathroom is right here." Eren motions to a door on the left. "Just leave your clothes on the hamper and I'll pick them up when you're done. I'll bring you some fresh clothes while you're showering."

Levi opens the door to the bathroom and gropes around blindly for the light switch before being blinded by the white of the walls and the floor. He closes the door behind him quietly and quickly goes about shedding his sopping clothing. He's completely drenched, he realizes, and dripping water everywhere. He'll have to clean the entrance to Eren's flat once he's done. It's the least he can do, and he's not about to let himself be messy, even if he has been living on the streets for a while.

When he's fully stripped and the clothes are folded on the hamper, he glances into the mirror over the sink. He grimaces, eyes narrowing and nose scrunching when he notices the shape he's in. Ribs and collarbones protruding against his skin, grime covering said skin, dark shadows under his eyes, skin deathly pale, hair messy and wet. He looks pretty fucking pathetic, if he could say so himself.

He forces himself to move on, stepping into the shower and pulling the curtain forward. A minute or two of messing with the nobs produces the perfect temperature; hot water rushes over his skin and Levi can't help but sigh. It's been a while since he's had a proper shower, having to make do with whatever other means he could use to get clean while on the streets. It wasn't glamorous and Levi detested being filthy, but it was preferable to…_to him_.

A knock at the bathroom door catches his attention. "Yeah?"

He hears the door open a smidgen before Eren answers back. "Found you some clothes! I'm gonna lay them by the sink, okay?" Levi gives a hum of recognition and soon the door is heard being shut again.

It takes nearly 20 minutes to reach a level of cleanliness that Levi dubs acceptable before he's stepping out of the shower. The entire bathroom is steamed up, windows foggy and floor slippery with condensation. Levi finds the borrowed clothing sitting by the sink and goes about putting them on.

Just like he thought, they were definitely loose on his frame. But they were dry, warm, and comfortable. They smelled nice, too, similar to the way the inside of Eren's car smelled. They smelled like Eren.

He takes his towel and wipes the fog off of the bathroom mirror, observing himself once more. He definitely looks better, all dirt and grime wiped away and hair looking healthier than before. It's a slight improvement.

_Better enjoy it while it lasts. _

He cleans up any mess he made before leaving and entering the living room. Eren is sitting on the couch, his attention on the television, but his eyes turn to Levi as soon as he enters the room and a large smile makes its way onto his face. "You look like you feel a lot better."

Levi says nothing, only bites his bottom lip as he takes a seat on the same couch as Eren, but on the opposite end. The television is turned on to some comedy channel and laughter can be heard from the crowd in the background.

"You hungry?" Eren asks out of the blue. Levi turns to him, contemplating his answer, but Eren continues before he can say anything. "I know I am! I'm gonna put on a pizza for us while I shower, okay?"

Levi shrugs, feeling small in Eren's large shirt. "It's your house."

The brunet is up and heading for the kitchen, but not before giving a small laugh at Levi's retort.

An hour flies by and most of it is spent eating pizza and watching television.

Eren's hair is still slightly damp when they finally finish the pizza. Levi is feeling pleasantly full, hunger sated for the time being. The brunet takes their plates away to the kitchen, and when he returns, it's with a question in tow. "So…you wanna talk about it?"

Levi affords him a defensive look, fighting the urge to scowl and ignore the question all together, but he remembers that this is Eren's home, this is the guy that talked him down from suicide and took him in a little over an hour ago.

"I was feeling spectacularly shitty tonight." He reaches for his teacup on the coffee table and takes a sip of it, still warm on his tongue. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little happy when Eren mentioned that he could make tea.

Eren's eyes follow his hand on the cup. "Why do you hold it like that?" Levi's eyes flit over to him once more, and Eren motions to the cup. "The cup, I mean."

Levi looks down at his hand, the one that's holding the cup from the front. He figures it wouldn't hurt telling him the truth behind it. "I'm afraid of breaking it." He eyed the fragile handle on the side of the cup. "I used to have a nice set a couple years ago, one that I saved up some money for. I accidentally broke it when I tried to pick it up by the handle." Taking another sip, he closes his eyes. "It's a force of habit, I guess."

When he looks at Eren again, the brunet is smiling. Levi shoots him a questioning look, one thin eyebrow raised. Eren just shakes his head. "It's nothing. It's just, that's the most I've heard you say yet." Eren shifts on the couch so that most of his body is facing Levi. "Mind telling me why your night was so shitty? I mean, only if you want."

At least Eren has half a mind to respect his privacy. Because in all honesty, Levi doesn't want to go into the details. He'd rather not think about it, but those questioning turquoise eyes are still on him, and damn it, he owes Eren some kind of explanation. People don't just jump off of bridges because they're having a 'bad day'.

So Levi sighs, and sets his teacup down on the coffee table again. He realizes that his eyes are feeling heavy and his body is sagging with exhaustion. The thought of curling up and going to sleep sounds fantastic.

"I'm homeless." He begins, voice low and eyes downcast. "I had to leave home because of my piece of shit father." He nearly hisses the last word out, voice dripping venom and loathing. "I've been taking care of myself for a while now, trying to make ends meet. Things got shitty, I didn't see the point in trying anymore, and well…you know the rest."

Eren nods, expression grim and matching Levi's. "I'm so sorry to hear that. That's…wow. That's really crappy." He notices Eren scooting forward a little bit, the space between them shortening ever so slightly. "What did your dad do?"

And this is where Levi draws the line. "Can we not talk about that?" He grits out. Steely grey eyes meet Eren's turquoise and he sees the other shrink back a little.

The brunet is quick to throw his hands up, apologizing. "Sorry, sorry. I know that must be personal, and it's none of my business. Sorry."

Levi sighs, deflating a little. Eren's being way too nice and he's probably acting like an ass. Which isn't any different from how he usually acts, but he can at least try to be pleasant to the stranger who's let him into their home.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He stretches his limbs out a bit, feeling and hearing the joints popping from the strain. He's so comfortable on this couch, in this house. He can't remember the last time he's felt like this. He feels a yawn bubbling to the surface and suppresses it by pursing his lips.

Eren apparently notices anyway and nods towards the hallway. "There's a guest room on the left, before you reach the bathroom. If you're feeling tired, that is."

Levi nods sleepily and stands up to head to the kitchen while draining the rest of his teacup. He deposits the dish in the sink and begins to walk towards the guest room, but stops by the couch where Eren is still sitting.

He takes a moment to think, to try and think of something suitable to say to Eren after everything that's happened. He settles on something simple. "Thank you. For this."

He doesn't have to look to know that Eren is smiling at him. He can hear it in his voice despite not seeing it. "Nah, it's fine. I promise."

He simply nods once before continuing on. He closes the guest bedroom door behind him and all but collapses on top of the bed. The comforter is soft and plush under his body, a stark contrast to the cold, hard wet stone of the street.

He barely has time to reflect on everything that has happened before his eyes become too heavy to hold open anymore and he's fallen asleep.

* * *

When he wakes up, it's to the smell of breakfast.

Levi blinks open his eyes, groggy, but insanely comfortable. He's warm and cozy, nothing but soft fabric covering him. That's when he notices the comforter covering him.

If he remembers correctly, he didn't get under the covers last night.

As much as his body protests, he makes himself get out of bed and head to the living room. But not before remaking the bed and setting everything back to the way it was before. Again, he's not going to let himself be a slob.

When he walks into the living room, he can see Eren through the little bar in the kitchen. Still feeling sluggish, he takes a seat at one of the stools. The brunet turns and smiles when he notices Levi. "Good morning! I'm making some omelets, so I hope you're hungry because they're huge." He turns around, muttering something about 'how 4 eggs didn't look like too much for a single omelet'.

Levi rolls his eyes, but it's more out of amusement than anything. His stomach, though not feeling nearly as constricted as it usually does, is telling him that is he is in fact hungry.

He actually finds it endearing. How long has it been since someone made breakfast for him?

How long has it been since someone _good_ made him breakfast?

It only takes a few short minutes, and then Eren is sliding a plate loaded down with an omelet in front of Levi. One look at it tells Levi that it's loaded down with about 5 more things than it should have. But it smells good and it looks appetizing, so he's not one to complain.

"Thanks." He murmurs quietly. Eren has taken a seat beside him and is already eating. He nods in recognition, and Levi is grateful for the good manners. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself from correcting Eren otherwise.

The omelet does taste good, and Levi is, surprisingly, able to scarf it all down. He feels almost bloated after eating it, but it's a welcome feeling.

He and Eren resume their activities from last night; another batch of tea brewed for Levi, the television turned on to the same channel, except Eren is now on his laptop.

This is where Levi starts feeling extremely out of place.

It doesn't take long for him to feel like he's overstayed his welcome here, that Eren is waiting for him to leave any moment now. He feels the need to fidget where he's sitting, but manages to hold himself still. He knows he needs to leave, but he's reluctant to do so.

The clothes he'd been wearing last night are freshly washed and clean and he'd changed back into them earlier. Eren's borrowed clothing is in the hamper in the bathroom. Nothing is keeping him here now.

He knows that as soon as he walks out the door, it's back to cold streets, rainy nights, and edging starvation.

He doesn't want to leave.

But he has to.

Might as well do it now.

As much as his legs want to root themselves to the carpet, he forces himself to stand up and look down at Eren, who is now looking up at him from his laptop. His palms are starting to feel sweaty and the first dregs of anxiety are beginning to creep up on him. His chest is feeling heavy again.

"Thanks." He manages to get out. Eren smiles at him again, eyebrows raising a little. "For letting me spend the night here." Levi nods, he doesn't know why. Maybe to reassure himself. He forces his legs to move towards the entryway.

It's only when he's put his shoes – and what poor condition they were in now – back on and is halfway out the door that he registers the sound of footsteps on the wooden part of the entryway. A hand shoots out and stops the door from closing, and Levi looks up to meet worried blue-green eyes.

The laptop is abandoned on the coffee table. He can see that over Eren's shoulder. Eren is staring at him like he's about to disappear forever, which probably isn't too far from the truth. He'd be back on the side of that bridge in no time. He knows that much.

Eren's throat works, he swallows hard. "Listen, Levi…I, uh. You…you don't have to leave."

This is something he both wanted and didn't want to hear.

He wants to stay, oh yes he does. He likes this house, he likes the tea and Eren's cooking, and he finds Eren nice to be around. He's figured that much in the short time he's been here.

But it's not right of him to stay. Eren has to take care of himself, and as much as a part of him yearns for someone to help him, he's not going to let himself become a burden. The thought of giving Eren grief outweighs the thought of sleeping in a warm bed and eating good food.

"I can't." And it's all Levi can get out. His throat feels constricted, full with something akin to cotton. He feels like he wants to disappear right now, to fade out of existence. "It's not your job to take care of me."

He forces himself to turn away from the cracked door. If he can walk away now, he'll be alright. Well, he won't, not really. But he won't let himself come up with reasons to stay.

He takes his first step away, but Eren's hand shoots out and grabs his. And it's a repeat of last night on the bridge. Eren's holding him back from hurting himself again, hand grasping his upper arm. Gentle, but not restraining. All the same.

The door is all the way open now and Eren is staring him down, eyes full of worry, mouth open in an oncoming protest.

"I know it's not." The brunet says, and his voice is soft. "But it's something that I want to do." Levi knows he shouldn't, but his body turns just a fraction towards Eren. "I'd rather know that you're safe in my home than out there on the streets. Or worse, on the side of another bridge."

Levi's mouth is feeling dry, and his lips chapped. He licks them nervously.

He really shouldn't.

But he lets Eren pull him back into his flat.

The sound of the door clicking shut is heard faintly and Levi is left standing in the entryway. He feels a strange combination of both relieved and hollow. "How can you do this." He means it as a question, but it comes out flat.

He feels Eren grab onto his sleeve lightly, urging him back into the living room. "Trust me, I can. I have more than enough. I work at a pretty fancy restaurant nearby and make some hefty tips. It's enough to support more than one person."

Levi has enough sense to toe off his shoes before stepping onto the carpet again. He feels a familiar burning sensation in his nose, his eyes itching uncomfortably. He doesn't say anything in return to that, doesn't trust his voice at the moment.

When Eren is met with silence, he turns back to face Levi, taking the lack of retort as disbelief. "Really, it's not a prob…lem…" He filters off, noticing Levi's hunched shoulders, his hands in fists at his side, the slight trembling of his figure. That's when the brunet notices. "Are you okay?"

He knows he shouldn't talk, shouldn't even try to use his voice right now, but the words come out anyway. They're shaky and weak and he feels ashamed for sounding like such a crybaby, but he can't help it.

"I've never been treated like this before. Never."

And it's like a dam has broken and he's crying silently, tears rolling down his cheeks. He wants to wipe at them angrily, but doesn't. He hears a soft "oh" from Eren, but pays it no mind. He's making himself look pathetic right now and he should really-

The feeling of warm arms wrapping around him is a shock and he nearly jumps at it. But it's just Eren. He's come forward and now he's crushing Levi in a tight hug, arms encircled around his torso, hands splayed out on his back, fingers touching along the ridges of his spinal column.

He doesn't even fight it, presses his forehead into Eren's shoulder, his hands against the other's chest, but not pressing away, just resting them there.

And he cries out all his pain and sorrow and it feels so good to let it all go, because he's alright now. He's safe, and he can hardly believe it.

* * *

I do track my work on Tumblr. Anything related to this fic can be tagged as **fic: i need a summer**.

You can also find me as **destineytots** on Tumblr.


	2. Thaw

**Author's Note:** Just to clarify, Levi is not younger than Eren in this fic. Levi is slightly older, but not by much. I realize that some people may be put off by how emotional I'm making Levi here, but my goal in this story is to showcase vulnerable!Levi as opposed to vulnerable!Eren. I realize that most of the fandom chocks Levi up to being a cold, hard leader who is completely in control of his emotions. But the Levi of the SnK Universe and the Levi of this modern AU are different in the sense that this Levi isn't trained to mask his emotions.

However, he does try to suppress them when he can and I do try to characterize him as close to canon!Levi as I can, while also being realistic at the same time.

* * *

It's difficult at first, but Levi can finally feel himself starting to relax.

The main problem was trying to convince himself that Eren wasn't going to suddenly grow tired of him and kick him to the curb. He's not the most pleasant person, even he can say that, but apparently it doesn't matter to Eren. He treats Levi well, as if there isn't a single negative thing about him.

The secondary problem was the sudden onslaught of nightmares that came the third night. Maybe it was just being in a house again, or sleeping on an actual bed that brought them back. It wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of that certain time period, but he hadn't experienced the nightmares for a long while.

Probably because he was constantly worrying about other things on the streets, like where his next meal was coming from.

On the third night, he found himself wrenching awake with a sheen of sweat covering his face, violently trembling, and aching phantom pain in his limbs. He didn't yell, thankfully, because he didn't want Eren busting into the room. Nor was he ready to breach that particular subject with Eren.

For a few minutes, he simply focused on controlling his breathing. _In and out, in and out. You're here, not there. You're okay, you're fine._

He managed to slip back into a deep sleep, despite the horrid memories lurking behind his eyes. He blamed it on exhaustion. It seemed like he slept so much since agreeing to stay here. Eren thinks it's because his body is finally getting proper rest and nutrition, and that it's a good thing.

He was just happy to be sleeping in an actual bed again.

* * *

The first morning, after a week and a half of being at Eren's flat, saw Levi breaching the subject himself.

"You wanted to know about my shitty dad?" Levi asks over the rim of his teacup. It was routine each morning that Eren would make him tea. The brunet would try to fix breakfast when he could, but some late nights of staying at the restaurant to help clean up sometimes left Eren too tired.

The sudden subject breach took Eren off guard. Apparently, he wasn't expecting it either. "Yeah. Yeah, I mean, only if _you_ really wanna talk about it."

As if to show Levi that he has his full attention, Eren abandons the tablet he is using and turns toward him.

Levi takes another sip of tea before he begins. "It used to be just me and my dad. We lived in a piece of shit house that he managed to scrape enough money up for."

"What about your mom?" Eren asks, leaning forward slightly, now sitting Indian style on his side of the couch.

"I didn't know her." Levi states, monotone. "She died when I was still young. All I had to know her by was pictures, and even those were hard to come by. My fucking dad didn't like having pictures of her around the house. Said something about how it brought back unpleasant memories."

"I'm sorry about that." He hears Eren murmur quietly.

"It doesn't bother me." Levi retorts with a shrug. And truthfully, it didn't. There was no point in mourning someone he never knew. At least, that's what he personally thought. "My dad, if you can even fucking call him that, he was a drunk. He was rarely ever home, which was fine by me, but the times that he was…well, it wasn't great."

Eren manages to pick up the hint in Levi's tone, and suddenly he's not looking somber anymore, but a mixture of horrified and angry. It catches Levi off guard. "What did your dad do to you?" Eren asks, and Levi can tell he's got his teeth clenched.

He swallows visibly, eyes on the coffee table. "Just what typical violent drunkards usually do." He says it casually, but it's anything but. "If he came home feeling particularly pissed, he'd find something to take it out on. Sometimes it was the furniture, but most of the time, it was usually me."

"Levi…" Eren starts. He knows it's supposed to sound comforting, but he can tell Eren is angry and it seeps into his voice. He feels Eren's hand gently grab his wrist, and he looks up to see intense, focused blue-green eyes on him. "Who is this guy?"

"It doesn't matter, Eren." Levi says, because he knows what Eren wants to do. He can see it reflected on his face. "You can't press charges against him, because we have no evidence. And besides, I don't even know where he is now. He's probably dead from alcohol poisoning, or maybe he drowned in his own fucking puke. Either way is good enough for me."

Eren looks as though he wants to object, but decides against it, giving a stiff nod instead.

Levi sets his teacup down on the table, feeling Eren's hand slide off of him. "Anyway, that was why I left. It was either be beat to death by him, or try my luck out on the streets. Admittedly, the latter sounded better at the time.

"And then you ended up at that bridge." Eren adds, voice softer.

Levi nods. "I was on my own for a long time before that, but yeah. I kept looking for reasons to keep fighting, and found none." He pauses for a moment. "I didn't see the point in making myself suffer anymore."

He looks over just in time to see Eren smile, warm and bright as always, and it has him confused. "You think maybe my arrival at that exact moment was a sign?" He laughs lightly.

Levi merely blinks.

It's ridiculous, it even sounds ridiculous. If there's something Levi has learned, it's that there's no such thing as a higher power. And if there was a God out there, then he's a pretty shitty fucking deity.

But Eren's words strike a chord with him, and Levi can't help but think that there's some truth to it. He'd be out on the streets right now, if it wasn't for Eren.

He'd be dead right now, if it wasn't for Eren.

It feels like he's found an entirely new source of fondness for the brunet sitting across from him. He feels it bloom in his chest, warm and gentle, making his steely gaze soften, his lips part slightly. A moment passes, and then another. He's content with just staring at Eren like this, marveling at him.

It's only when he sees the red tinge painting the other's cheeks that he realizes that he was slowly leaning forward.

Levi wrenches himself back and away.

_Stupid, stupid, so stupid._

He disguises his embarrassment with the rim of his teacup. "So now you know." He sees Eren nod nervously out of the corner of his eye, still flustered. "Also, it might be a good heads up to tell you to ignore any screams in the middle of the night. I figured I'd warn you now before you found out the hard way."

Eren's mouth falls open slightly, and then Levi is flinching at his outburst. "You have nightmares?! You didn't tell me! Levi, I could have helped you with that!"

Levi grimaces, ears ringing at the loudness of Eren's voice. "And how would you do that?"

The brunet pauses, thoughtful for a moment. "I would have figured something out. I'm sure there's something I can do to help you. I'm not gonna let you suffer from these nightmares alone."

He feels his chest tighten, but it's not unpleasant.

It feels good.

* * *

True to his word, Eren tried to help Levi with his reoccurring nightmares. While the solution wasn't permanent, it did help lessen the number of night terrors he had.

"Two teaspoons of sugar, and one teaspoon of cinnamon in warm milk." Eren told him, handing him the warm cup. Levi took it without question, taking a sip and finding the taste to be pleasant. "I figured we'd leave medication and all that jazz out for now and try some home remedies."

He was glad they went that route, because Levi doubted he was ready to sit down in front of a shrink and spill his guts out. The medication part didn't sound all that great either.

For the next couple nights, he slept mostly undisturbed, with only a small number of nightmares occurring. He was skeptical at first, but apparently some home remedies really worked.

Well, that, and Eren was pretty adamant about Levi sharing his problems with him. Apparently he was fine with doing his own therapy sessions if it meant Levi could carry less emotional baggage.

Eren was a good listener though, understanding, and it eventually didn't bother Levi to tell Eren about his nightmares anymore.

Any time the nightmares did occur, and Levi was unable to suppress the scream of terror from escaping him, Eren was at his door in under a minute. There was more than one night where Eren would sit awake with Levi, despite having work in the afternoon the next day.

"Hey, you know what? We should definitely go job hunting for you soon. There are all sorts of neat places you could work around here."

That caught Levi's attention. He was a little ashamed to admit that the thought hadn't crossed his mind yet, but the idea of working and making his own money sounded too good.

When he'd been on the streets, there'd been no hope for work. Not too many people were willing to give jobs to the homeless, considering their lack of said home and basic necessities. Something with how it didn't bode well for the work environment.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that." Levi replied nonchalantly.

They ended up spending most of their time after that out in the city. Eren had most of the surrounding area memorized, along with what shops were along the street. They talked mostly, when walking to and from the shops, which led to them exchanging all the littlest details about themselves.

Levi learned that Eren liked horror movies, and his favorite food was chicken casserole. His favorite color was blue and he had two good friends named Armin and Mikasa. Apparently, Mikasa was his adopted sister, having been taken in by his family at a young age. The way he spoke about her made Levi think that maybe she was a bit over-protective of Eren.

When Eren asked Levi about himself, Levi was a little disappointed to realize that he couldn't provide as many answers. He never had the luxury to eat nice food, or go out with friends. He didn't have any siblings, as far as he knew. He figured he sounded boring to Eren.

"I'm pretty goddamn boring, in case you haven't noticed." He finished lamely, pulling up the borrowed scarf to keep the cold, biting wind away from his nose.

"No, you're not. Trust me." Eren disagreed, shooting him a small smile. "I think you're really interesting, to be honest."

Levi looked away, feeling flustered. He hid it behind a bored look and blamed red tint to his cheeks on the cold temperature.

This routine continued for another two weeks. On the days Eren had off, he always took Levi out to apply for jobs nearby. When they left the house, the brunet always made an effort to treat Levi to something different, whether it was another restaurant or a movie.

"If you keep this shit up, people are going to think we're a couple." He'd joked one day as they walked out of an Italian restaurant. He bumped Eren on the arm, causing the other to stumble slightly.

Eren regains his balance and shoots him a confident smirk. "Well, I guess you could call this a date, so we're not too far off from the actual thing." He laughs, and actually rests his hand on Levi's waist. He pulls the shorter man against his side playfully.

He can feel Eren's hand sliding up his side, fingers pressing through his thick coat. The sensation is so vivid, and he unconsciously presses himself closer to Eren, making an annoyed sound in his throat, but not meaning it.

They make nothing of it and walk home like that.


	3. A Slice of Life

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad that you guys are enjoying the story.

This is the last chapter, and boy is it long. I didn't want to cut this in half, because then the pacing of the story would suffer as a result. So you'll just have to deal with a super long final chapter. Also, this is the chapter with smut in it, so I apologize if it's lacking. I haven't written smut in a long time, and when I did, it was usually with a writing partner.

* * *

Three days later, they're trapped in Eren's living room for the day.

It's late November now, and winter doesn't seem to want to wait much longer. A snowstorm has hit overnight – the first of the season – and they're trapped in the house for the time being. Eren has to call in and let the restaurant know that he can't make it to work.

Levi is sprawled across the recliner, head hanging off one side and legs hanging off the other. He has Eren's tablet angled up so he can see the screen, and is flicking through different websites for different shops.

Eren is sitting in his spot on the couch, nursing an almost empty cup of hot cocoa and watching some reality show on television.

The flat is warm, but they're both dressed cozy. They've yet to go shopping for a new wardrobe for Levi, something Eren says they should do once it clears up outside. So for the time being, he's stuck in Eren's oversized clothing.

Speaking of which, the cream colored sweater he's wearing keeps wanting to slip low on his shoulder. It almost feels like he's wearing a dress, with how it stretches all the way down to his mid-thigh. He keeps shrugging his shoulder up, trying to get the fabric to cling onto his form better. It doesn't help that the sleeves want to hang past his fingers and he has to shove them back, too.

When Levi shifts his eyes over to Eren, he notices the other staring at him. Eren's eyes are half lidded, glazed, and his head tilted slightly. He waits for Eren to acknowledge him, but his stare doesn't waver.

Levi sighs, lowering the tablet from its held position. "You just gonna keep ogling at me, brat?" Levi says it with light affection.

Whatever daze Eren was stuck in, he's now snapped out of it. He fumbles for a second, stuttering over his words. His face turns red and he smiles nervously. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"Oh?" Levi asks, one thin eyebrow rising. "About what?"

Eren bites his bottom lip for a moment, but manages to answer, his voice low. "I guess about you."

"Huh." Levi hums, ignoring the implication in Eren's answer. He turns his attention back to the tablet, but his mind is somewhere else.

He recognized that look. He's seen it before plenty of times.

This is stupid, and he knows it. The last thing this needs to turn into is some steamy sexual fling between them. Eren doesn't need this kind of trouble, and Levi is pretty sure he has more pressing matters to attend to than fucking the person that took him into their home. Even if said person has been nothing short of an angel to him.

Still, the thought makes itself at home in his mind. And fuck, it's starting to sound better and better by the second. Eren is goddamn attractive; he'll admit that in a heartbeat. The fact that Levi has developed a soft spot for him doesn't help matters, either.

Grey eyes flit back up to Eren, who's now staring off in another direction, lost in thought once again.

The image of Eren under him, writhing and arching, trembling through his release with a desperate moan and Levi's name a whisper on his lips etches itself into Levi's mind. He imagines putting his mouth on that tan skin, running his tongue along it and tasting, sucking his mark onto Eren's neck, sinking his teeth into his shoulder and listening to him whimper with want.

He feels the beginnings of arousal in his groin and knows that he's fucked. There's no shoving this to the back of his mind and forgetting about it, not when Eren was looking at him with a similar hunger in his eyes not even a few minutes ago.

He stands up from the recliner and his feet carry him over to the couch.

When Eren finally notices, he's already climbing onto his lap, his arms winding around the brunet's neck and his fingers curling into dark brown hair. It's soft and Levi wants to pull it and hear Eren's voice catch.

Eren's mouth opens to say something, and he falters. But he's not trying to push Levi off. He's looking at him with questioning eyes.

"You think I don't notice how you look at me?" Levi whispers, and his voice is rough. He leans closer, lips brushing Eren's before skimming along his jawline and dipping down to his neck. "You look at me like you can't wait to fuck me."

He feels warm hands on his hips, but they're gentle and inviting. Eren's thumbs brush over his hipbones and up his sides and Levi has to suppress a shiver. "I don't want you for just your body."

It's not rejection and it makes Levi braver. "No, but you'd still like to have me, wouldn't you?" He presses an open-mouthed kiss to Eren's neck, hears the brunet pull in a breath quietly. Levi's hand combs up through Eren's hair and he leans back again to see turquoise eyes close at the sensation. "Which is fine by me. I think I want you, too."

When Eren's eyes open again, he sees conflict in them. "I don't want this to be a casual thing between us."

Eren doesn't want just casual sex. He wants the full experience. Levi can sympathize. Empty relationships built purely on lust become unappealing after a while. The question though is whether or not he has feelings strong enough for Eren's tastes.

Considering this is the same person that convinced Levi to live another day, took him in, gave him a new home, treats him like he's something important, and is currently trying to help him get his shit together…

Yeah, he might be falling for Eren. Maybe just a little.

Or a lot.

It's not purely love just yet, but it's getting there.

Levi answers with a kiss, lips meeting Eren's harshly. He feels Eren reciprocate, and it's all he needs at the moment. They part briefly, but their mouths meet again not even a second later, and he's running his tongue over Eren's lips, licking his way into the brunet's mouth.

He receives a moan in return and the feeling of hands sliding under his sweater and up his bare back. He's pulled closer, pressed right up against Eren's chest, and his knees ache slightly with the strain that's being put on them because of the position.

And oh, Eren's tongue is sliding up against his now, and he's suddenly dizzy with the taste. He tilts his head, deepening the kiss and grabbing handfuls of Eren's hair between his fingers. He presses his hips forward, wanting to find friction against Eren's stomach, and that's when he feels himself being pushed away slightly.

"No." He almost growls, trying to fight his way back to Eren's mouth. He catches Eren's bottom lip between his teeth and tugs, earning a small sound from the brunet. Eren's hand – now free from his sweater – presses lightly against his chest.

"Levi, wait."

Reluctantly, he pulls away, and he doesn't even try to hide the annoyed expression on his face. "What?" He almost snaps.

"We can't do this. Not like this." Eren fixes him with a serious look, and Levi feels himself deflate a little.

"And why the fuck not?" He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling impatient at the moment.

Eren looks down, contemplative. His hand slides up, rests against Levi's neck. It's a gentle and intimate gesture. "I don't know about you, but casual sex just isn't a thing I do anymore."

Levi scoffs, eyes narrowing. "Who said this was casual sex?"

At this, Eren meets his eyes. "It sounded like it was. I mean…"

"Fucking idiot." Levi chastises him, and he's leaning forward again. He presses a kiss to the corner of Eren's mouth, lingering there. "I don't know if you've forgotten about our time together already, but I'm sure we've crossed the point of being just casual with each other."

"What makes you say that?" Eren murmurs quietly, but it's not condescending.

"Let's see." Levi begins, leaning back to look at him. "You've taken me into your home, spent countless nights dealing with my fucked up psyche, treated me to dinner multiple times, you let me walk around your house in your clothes-" He notices Eren about to retort, but cuts him off. "Even with the current situation, that's still pretty damn intimate, wouldn't you say? We're fucking couple material."

There's a long pause. "So…what are you saying-"

"Goddamnit." Levi groans, slapping a hand to his forehead. "I like you. A lot. A real-fucking-lot. The fact that I also happen to want to fuck you senseless is just a bonus. I thought that maybe since you returned the sentiment, that maybe we could actually _do it_."

"Oh." Is the oh-so elegant reply Levi gets in return. He waits for Eren to speak again, silently hoping that maybe he managed to say the right thing. He's not the most articulate when it comes to speaking his feelings, after all. In fact, he considers himself complete shit at it.

He feels himself being pulled into a tight hug, and Eren's nose brushing against his neck gently. "I'm glad to hear that, because I happen to like you a lot, too."

"Right." Levi answers simply, pressing a hand against Eren's head. He feels the brunet's mouth slide across his neck in return, stopping just under his jawline to give a soft kiss. "Good, so can we get back to business?"

He's directed into a quick, but heated kiss. When Eren pulls back, the look in his eyes is all the answer Levi needs. "Gladly."

"Great. Now kiss me again, you fucking brat." He tugs Eren forward by his hair and slots his mouth against the other's lips once more. It's sloppy and passionate and everything Levi wants out of Eren right now. He feels hands on his hips again, and they're pulling him in, pressing his growing erection against Eren's stomach. He's ruts forwards, tries not to gasp at the friction against his clothed cock and fails.

At the same time, he feels Eren press up into him, feels the other's arousal against his bottom. They set a pace with each other, rutting and rubbing up against one another, shamelessly getting each other off on Eren's couch.

Levi grabs Eren's chin, blunt nails digging into his skin, and kisses him hard. He gives Eren's lips a languid lick and hisses out his thoughts. "Fuck, this is filthy…god, Eren." It's filthy, but it's so good and he doesn't even care if he comes in his pants right now. He can't stop the moan that builds in his throat when he feels Eren rub the heel of his palm against his cock. He presses up into it, arching slightly.

"Like that?" He hears Eren murmur, and his answer is a strained moan. He's pressing himself down into Eren's lap now, riding the brunet's covered cock and eliciting a series of gasps and moans from him as well. "Fuck, Levi…god, yes."

Levi latches his mouth onto Eren's neck, sucking hard, biting into his skin and leaving teeth marks behind. He trails a series of bruise-inflicting kisses down to his shoulder, tugging at the collar of Eren's shirt to make way for his mouth.

Eren's got both arms wrapped around him tightly now, moving feverishly against him, as though he can't get enough. He's whispering out Levi's name, breathless and desperate. His legs spread a little wider and he pushes Levi's hips down. His head tilts back, his mouth opening in a soft moan.

He can feel himself getting close already, and it's almost embarrassing how fast it's happening, but he blames it on the fact that it's Eren. It's been so long since he's been so turned on, it's almost painful. He catches Eren's eyes and they meet in another kiss, all tongues and teeth and the wet slide of their mouths on each other.

"Fuck, Eren, yes. _Yes, yes, yes." _He presses up and forward, and his body goes taut in Eren's arms. He trembles, arches his back with his orgasm. His mouth falls open in a breathless cry and his nails dig into Eren's shoulders unforgivingly.

He's pulled back down and his throat falls victim to Eren's mouth. He feels a tongue, hot and wet, slide across his skin before teeth are sinking in enough to make him whimper. Eren's name tumbles from his lips, rough and shaky, and his hands slide up into his hair once more.

Eren is soon to follow, comes with a loud cry next to Levi's ear, and he feels the other press their head into the crook of his neck. "Levi, Levi…" The brunet moans his name out, and it's spoken with such reverence, it makes Levi's throat constrict.

They come down with each other, limbs becoming loose and breathing uneven and shaky. Eren presses kisses against his neck, trails them all the way to his mouth and captures his lips in a long kiss. Levi is left breathless by the end of it.

Hands cup his cheeks, and he's forced to meet blue-green eyes. "Was that good?"

It's a stupid question, he thinks. But when he answers, it's with a sly smirk. "Not bad. But I think we can do better."

Eren dramatically drops his head, his forehead brushing Levi's chin. When he speaks, it's with a small laugh though. "I think maybe we should save it for later. I'm feeling like a nap is the right course of action right now."

Levi shifts slightly, and grimaces when he feels wetness on his pants. "I think a shower is in order, first. Want to join me?"

He's given no answer, but is lifted up instead, his legs locking around Eren's waist. Strong arms rest around his lower back and bottom and he's being carried off into the direction of the bathroom.

* * *

When the snow is nothing more than slush on the ground, Eren takes Levi out to a nearby mall.

He was expecting a bargain bin, but instead, he's being handed almost six-hundred dollars in cash.

"Eren, I can' take this." He'd said, looking at the crisp bills in the other's hand.

They'd been to a bank earlier and had withdrawn cash, but Levi didn't know the amount. This was ridiculous. Half-way sex or not, you don't just hand someone six-hundred dollars and tell them to go crazy.

"I have quite a bit saved up, so don't worry about it. Besides, I don't really know what to do with money half of the time, so I'd feel a lot better knowing it's being put to good use." He shoves the money into Levi's hands, and manually makes his fingers curl around the paper.

He grimaces, but pockets the wad of cash anyway.

He's forced into different stores and Eren does a good job at playing fashion consultant, waiting outside the changing rooms and giving Levi advice on which clothes suit him best. It was long and tedious and a little too frivolous for Levi's tastes, but he grudgingly thinks that it was also a little fun.

When they make it back to the flat, their arms are full of bags upon bags of clothing and accessories. Levi is quick to change out of Eren's too-big clothing and into his own. The feel and smell of new clothing on his body is strange and foreign.

When he comes out of his room, Eren is there to greet him. Turquoise eyes run up and down his figure unashamedly. "Wow, you look great. Like…really great."

"Of course I do." Levi retorts, and tries not to smile outright. He manages to hide it behind a smirk.

He's not saying it out of vanity either. Just these last few weeks have done Levi's health good. His ribs are less noticeable than before, and his collarbones don't stick out in a sickly way. His limbs have filled out a little as well.

The shadows under his eyes remain, mostly due to the repetitive nightmares, but even they're starting to lighten up some.

Eren's hands grab his and he's being pulled into a kiss. It's short, but sweet, and makes Levi's heart palpitate.

Night arrives, and Levi goes to crawl into his bed, but is stopped at his door by Eren. There are no words spoken between them as Eren pulls him to his own bedroom and falls onto the bed with him.

They kiss, slowly, tongues lapping at each other and hands sliding along each other's bodies. Eren pushes off his shirt with Levi's help and then immediately busies himself with unbuttoning Levi's own shirt.

"Are you trying to tell me something, brat?" Levi asks, running his thumb along Eren's bottom lip. Eren's lips close around it in a wet kiss.

The brunet gazes up at Levi, lashes lowered slightly, eyes half lidded. He releases Levi's thumb. "You said you'd like to fuck me senseless. Are you still up for that?" His legs part slightly, and Levi is crawling between them, resting his elbows on both sides of Eren's head and looking down at him, his bangs veiling his face.

"What do you think the answer to that is?" One arm lifts up, and his hand is trailing down Eren's chest, stopping at the button on his pants so he can undo it. He wastes no time, slipping his hand under Eren's boxers and grabbing his already hardening cock. He watches the brunet gasp and press his head back into the sheets.

Levi sits back a little, withdraws his hand, and starts tugging Eren's pants and boxers off in one go. He tosses them to the floor, mindful of the mess he's making, but he doesn't care at the moment. His hands grab Eren's thighs, pulls him closer so that they're resting over his own, and his hand finds the other's cock again.

He slides his hand up it, fingers in a comfortable grip, and feels pre-come leaking out of the tip already. "You've been thinking about this all day, huh?" Eren nods, cheeks flushed and sweat already starting to gather on his forehead.

Levi strokes Eren's cock, feels the straining veins along it, runs his thumb along the tip and the slit, along the underside of the head. His fingers and palm become slick with pre-come, allowing his hand to slide easier along it. Eren's hips buck slightly, forcing his straining cock up through Levi's grip.

The brunet breathes raggedly, bites his bottom lip, and tries to fuck Levi's hand as best as he can.

Levi watches with rapt attention, tongue swiping over his lips in a hungry gesture. He's getting painfully hard from watching Eren, his own cock starting to strain against his jeans. Hissing out an obscenity, he undoes the button on his own pants and pulls out his member, pumping it in time with Eren's.

"I don't know what the fuck you do to turn me on so much, but it's really fucking annoying." He growls out. He presses his own cock up against Eren's and takes them both in his hand as best he can. Eren thrusts up, laughing at Levi's frustration, and he can barely suppress the moan that comes with the feel of Eren's cock sliding against his.

They fuck against each other like they for a while, nothing but gasps and moans and the sound of their cocks sliding against each other.

And oh hell, Eren has his legs spread wide now, open and wanton. Levi groans, red hot spreading through him. "Please tell me you have lube."

Eren motions up to the drawer beside his bed, and Levi wastes no time crawling up the bed to get it. When he finds his former place back between Eren's legs, he leans forward and kisses the brunet hard. His lips almost go numb under the pressure. Eren manages to push him back enough to run his tongue along Levi's lips.

"How do you want it?" Levi asks, breathlessly. He pushes Eren's bangs back, feels how slick his forehead is with sweat. For once, he doesn't find it disgusting.

"I'll tell you once we get started." Eren answers and his voice is a low with lust. "I need you to put something in me, right now. I don't care if it's your fingers or your dick, just do something."

He actually wants to laugh at Eren's impatience, but settles for following Eren's request instead. The lube is uncapped and his fingers are coated generously in it before they're sliding below Eren's balls and finding his entrance.

He teases, presses in ever so slightly, but not all the way. And Eren whimpers with frustration, claws at the sheets and curses Levi for being so cruel. "_Levi,_ you asshole."

When he does push a finger inside, he hears Eren gasp. "Good?" He looks up and sees the brunet nod impatiently. He's slow to start, not wanting to accidentally hurt Eren, but apparently it's not a problem. He feels Eren push down on his finger, watches the other cant his hips and fuck himself on the digit.

A second finger slips in to join his first, and Eren moans carnally. But it's nothing compared to when his fingers finally brush up against Eren's prostate.

"Oh!" Eren jerks, arches up and curls his fingers into the covers. Levi is insistent upon rubbing against that spot, watching Eren shudder and pant and make a couple noises he didn't think was possible. "Fuck yes, Levi. Oh god, yes…"

Levi's cock is throbbing with want, and as much as he doesn't want to stop with his fingers, he's pretty sure his dick would appreciate being taken care of right now. He pulls them out of Eren, hears a noise of annoyance from him, and wastes no time with coating his member in lube.

He presses his cock against Eren's entrance and pushes in; tortuously slow for both of them. When he's completely seated in Eren and his cock is surrounded by a constant pressure, he has to take a moment to gather his wits about himself.

His eyes find Eren's face, and he sees that the other man has his teeth clenched, his brows furrowed slightly. "Eren?"

He watches Eren lick his lips before answering, his voice strained. "Easy and slow, please."

"Easy and slow it is." Levi murmurs, and true to his word, his first thrusts are gentle. His eyes stay on Eren's face, watching for any drastic change, but so far it's much of the same. Eren's hand slides down and grabs his, his fingers working their way through his, and Levi squeezes it once to reassure him.

His thrusts become more fluid, easier, and he's got an easy pace going. Eren's teeth come unclenched and his mouth is open in a shallow, quiet pant. The brunet threads his fingers through his own hair, pushing back sweat-soaked strands and working their way through tangles.

Levi grabs his hips, gives a solid thrust into Eren, and watches as he arches his back off the bed and gives a strangled cry.

Eren's grip has grown tight on his hand, crushing almost, and his turquoise eyes are looking up at him with a haze to them. "Ahh, right there…again."

He thrusts into Eren just like before, watches Eren shudder and twitch again as his cock rubs up against his prostate. Eren cries out, pulls at the covers on the bed. "_Harder._"

Ask and he shall receive, because now Levi's thrusts are picking up pace and he's unmercifully thrusting into Eren, his hands gripping Eren's thighs like a vice. There's going to be finger-shaped bruises there later on. Levi's doubles over slightly, groans out his own pleasure and the building pressure that's leading to his orgasm.

Eren is in no better shape, practically heaving with the effort to stifle his cries and moans. He's legs are trembling in Levi's grip and his toes are curling against the bed. His cock is lying against his stomach, dripping with pre-come and begging to be touched, but ignored nonetheless.

And fuck, Eren is starting to get super loud and Levi's sure their neighbors are getting an earful right now.

"Eren." Levi groans out his name in what's supposed to be a warning, but probably sounds more like encouragement. He's getting close now and he doubts he's going to be able to go much longer.

Eren reaches blindly for his own cock, his eyes squeezed shut and his chest heaving with effort. He starts pumping himself in time with Levi's thrusts, letting out a string of whimpers and trembling at the sensory overload. He lasts a few more seconds, before he's moaning out his orgasm, releasing all over his stomach in spurts and chanting Levi's name like a mantra.

Levi rests his hand against Eren's stomach, feels come smearing over his fingers and Eren's tan skin, and continues fucking Eren into oblivion in pursuit of his own orgasm.

When he comes, he curses loudly, spewing obscenities and moans of pleasure. He shudders through it all, feels Eren twitching with over-stimulation at this point, and all but collapses on top of the brunet, breathing ragged and erratic and limbs tingling with aftershocks.

It takes them at least 10 minutes to get their bearings together, but when they do, Levi is the first to blurt out, "I think I fucking love you."

There's a beat of silence, and then Eren is laughing at him, tired and soft. Levi turns his head, rests his chin on Eren's chest, and fixes him with a glare.

"No, no, I mean… It's just, wow. What a way to come out and confess."

He feels Eren's chest shake with laughter again, and doesn't bother to hide his scowl. "So?"

The laughter dies down, and Levi feels warm hands cupping his face. He's pulled up into a soft kiss, feels Eren's hands direct him onto his back, and when they part he's looking up at Eren's face now. "So, I think I might love you too."

Another heart palpitation. Or so Levi thinks. He doesn't know what you're supposed to call that feeling when it feels like your heart skips a beat. But it happens, and as much as he feels like a sap for doing it, he allows a small smile to grace his lips. "That's what I wanted to hear."

He pulls Eren back down and tries not to kiss the life out of the brunet.

* * *

3 months whiz by at record speed.

Not even a week after that night, Levi receives a call from a café he applied to.

One day spent on an interview, which luckily went smoothly enough, and a solid two weeks of training from other staff members lead to him serving variants of coffee to customers and making his own money.

His and Eren's work schedules are similar, so they have plenty of time to spend with each other every now and then. Whereas their relationship status was still in the grey about 3 months ago, it's now a full-blown romantic thing. The guest room is all but ignored now and hasn't been touched since they first had sex.

On top of that, Levi is supposed to start therapy in the next week, to help deal with the parts of his emotional trauma that Eren can't fix on his own. He'd rather not bother, but Eren was pretty adamant about it, and he somehow let himself be talked into it.

Besides money, work has also produced two other good things: friends in the form of his co-worker Hanji and the owner of the café, Erwin. They're pleasant enough, even though Hanji might be a little crazy and Erwin seems to be incredibly hard to read at times. But they're his friends and they've basically wedged themselves into his life right along with Eren. He can't really complain.

Eren introduced him to Armin and Mikasa as well. Armin was nicer than Levi thought was humanly possible, and Mikasa was…well, it was tense. She definitely exuded an aura of over-protectiveness over Eren.

It took a couple meetings, but he and Mikasa finally managed to click over their shared hatred of certain things, rather than what they liked.

Speaking of their friends, Eren had some get-together planned tonight with all 4 of them; Erwin and Hanji included.

"I think it'd be cool for all of us to get together and hang out." He replied with a shrug when Levi asked.

It's almost 7 p.m. and they're all crammed into Eren's living room with tea in their cups and pizza sitting on the table.

Hanji was excited to meet everyone, but she seems to have clicked with Armin the most. It turns out that they share a passion for science. When Armin let this slip, the look on Hanji's face could only be described as manic.

Erwin and Eren get along very well. Eren treats him with a great amount of respect, seeing as he's not only the owner of a business, but the very same café that offered Levi work.

When everyone is too busy talking to each other, Levi and Mikasa are content to sit in silence. When they do speak to each other, it's mostly about Eren and his well-being. That, or they're quietly poking fun at the diverse group in the room.

By 8 p.m., they're watching a movie together. Eren and Levi are squeezed onto the far end of the couch, with Hanji and Erwin on the other end. Mikasa and Armin are sitting in the loveseat. It's a horror film of course, courtesy of Eren.

Halfway through the movie, Eren shifts a little and pulls Levi into his lap, much to the chagrin of the raven-haired man. Levi doesn't want to interrupt the movie though, so he stays quiet and deals with it. But it doesn't bother him, not really.

When Hanji notices, she cracks up and Levi sends her a death glare from Eren's lap.

"Wow. You two make such a picturesque couple." She laughs again and Levi actually flips her off this time. Eren pulls his hand back down, muttering something about manners. Hanji finally clams down, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. When she speaks again, she's more serious. "No, really. You guys are cute together."

Eren smiles and thanks her, face reddening at the compliment and Levi makes a humming noise in recognition.

To think, not even 4 months ago, he was homeless, hopeless, and about to kill himself. It almost seems unreal now, like a nightmare he'd woken up from.

All he has now, his friends, this home, this comfortable life…it's all owed to Eren.

He wouldn't have anything right now, if it wasn't for Eren.


End file.
